After a long, cold winter in New York, the official start of spring is finally here and ready to melt any traces of snow or winter blues away. The good news is, bringing sunshine and vibrancy back into your life can be simple, and it all starts right at home. It’s time to look at the budding season as a “fresh start,” and follow these 5 simple home improvement tips to embrace the undeniable positivity of spring with a clean home and a welcoming outlook of the brightened days ahead.
1. Basic Clean Up
The most obvious aspect of preparing your home for the warmer months is cleaning. Whether you’d like to admit it or not, scrubbing those kitchen counters and stainless steel appliances is one great way to get your home sparkling again. House Beautiful Magazine recently published an article on spring cleaning tips, which encourages homeowners to keep up with tile and wood flooring care, maintain freshly washed walls, clean carpets and even polish that silver here and there. It’s often the little things that can make the most substantial differences! Other ways to tidy up around the house involve taking on the organization of closets, bookshelves and entryways, which should be especially spotless to set a positive initial tone for any home visitors or guests. To make your life easier, Real Simple Magazine discusses some cleaning shortcuts that can have your home looking as good as new in no time.
2. A Fresh Start
Spring is often associated with new beginnings—a fresh start. With that in mind, when it comes to your home, making alterations such as rearranging or adding furniture, as well as subtle changes in your choice of patterned pillows, rugs or bedding, is highly recommended. By stirring things up, a new and improved tone can be set in nearly every room. According to House Beautiful Magazine, the best way to highlight the increasingly radiant days of spring is by filling your walls with new artwork or bold wallpaper that is different from your usual choice in style. Other suggestions include painting walls, or maybe even your home’s ceilings, with bright pastels and hues of the season. For all you candle lovers, switch out any remaining winter pine or spicy autumn scents for new aromas of “breezy laundry” or “citrus,” to reflect common associations with milder weather.
3. New Attitude
Now is your chance to start making lifestyle changes! You can do this right at home by paying extra close attention to certain parts of the day, like enjoying an afternoon cup of tea or taking a moment to appreciate the view outside your window. Houzz encourages individuals to regularly use special home areas specifically for leisurely activities, recommending the creation of a reflective space for writing after a long day, meditation and more. It’s all about creating an uplifting environment in your home, which then results in a happier you! Other ways to achieve this is by actually looking out the window at surrounding beautiful views, attempting to cook new recipes for a relaxing dinner at home and not waiting for a special occasion to use your good silver or china. Keep favorite household treasures such as these on hand and ready for use—by doing so, every day will be special.
4. Embrace Your Natural Surroundings
With the improving weather comes sweet-smelling flowers, lively colors and pure natural beauty. It’s a springtime paradise outside your front door, so why not gather up some nature and bring a touch of its warmth into your home? House Beautiful Magazine agrees with this idea, encouraging individuals to dig out those fun vases that are hidden away, and fill them with large leaves and palms, blooming buds and any other garden treasures found. Adding a floral arrangement to your tablescape is another great way to change the ambiance of your home. HGTV suggests adding a unique style to your centerpiece by using unusual containers for display including water pitchers, teacups, teapots or mason jars. By doing so, more of the decorator’s personality will shine through along with the vibrant natural colors of your specially picked spring flowers.
5. Find What Works for You
It’s true—spring cleaning can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why instead of trying to tackle every task head on, it’s important to choose an approach that fits your personal level of motivation. Do you want to just organize your kitchen, or maybe clean the floors? Even if you decide to only face one cleaning goal, by achieving this chosen task, your home will be that much more prepared for the season. Houzz recently discussed ways to make your own spring cleaning plan by creating focused themes such as eliminating clutter or dust, cleaning carpets, scrubbing the bathrooms and more. Having a set plan with one main goal in mind will most likely end in success for both your home and overall positive springtime mindset.
Happy spring, happy cleaning!
